Queen's Fugitive
by Akiha21
Summary: After the events of Kurogumi, Sumireko and Banba go their seperate ways. Banba no longer has a strong sensitivity to lights, and Sumireko has decided to pick up cooking. I wonder how that will turn out. Takes place a day or two after Black class is over. Does have a plot, but just some fluff before it picks up. Hope you like it ;D
1. Lovely

**A/N: Eeeeey lmao. Hi guys, Akiha here. So I've decided to write this here fic. I know, I know, I haven't finished my other chitsugi one, but I've decided to take a little break from that :3 I feel like this one is a little better written than my other one. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy this new fanfiction, and I'll see you around soon. I'm also on tumblr, so if you wanna follow me or whatever please do and stuff xD ****blatant advertising**** (akihaotaku)**

**Edit: I would like to say that this story DOES have a plot. In case you were wondering.**

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_PoV of: Sumireko_

My consciousness had returned to me only an hour ago. Pain seemed to pierce every part of every place where the artificial limbs connected with what was left of my real ones. Men carrying large weapons had attacked my family's house not too long before, when I had to get these. They shot down a large glass chandelier that hung above me, and one of the butlers managed to knock me out of the way, before he was crushed by it. The glass that had shattered found their way to my arms and legs, and severely injured them.

My mother sat next to my hospital bed, holding my hand. It still didn't seem real to me. As I looked down at where our hands touched, I'm barely able to take in the reality of it.

"Mama..." I whispered hoarsely.

"Yes, Lovely?" My mother replied in a soft voice.

"I...I can't feel your hand." Tears welled up in my eyes. Will it be like this forever? Will I have to live without being able to feel the warmth of my mother's touch? I could tell that she held my hand tighter as she reached up her other to wipe away a tear that escaped my eye and trickled down my cheek.

"I know, Lovely. I know. Don't cry. I love you." As she said the words, she rubbed a thumb gently over my cheek. I could feel her hand now. The hand that carried so much warmth and care.

"How can you?" I replied.

"How can you? Look at me Mama, my body is hideous now. Why did this happen to me? Did I do something wrong to those men? How can you love your daughter when she looks like this? I want to be beautiful, like you."

She looked deeply into my eyes as the words spilled out of my mouth. My mother was indeed beautiful. She had the same peach colored hair as I did. It was long and silky, much longer than mine was. I always told myself that I would grow my hair as long as she did. Her eyes...her eyes were purple. They were a bright amethyst purple.

"No. You _are_ beautiful, Lovely. Beauty comes from mind and soul. You, with that big brain yours," She moved her hand up to my head and ruffled my hair gently.

"and your kind, selfless soul," She poked a finger at my chest, to indicate my heart.

"and as a bonus, your stomach that you always fill with sweets when I'm not looking." She moved her hand down and playfully tickled my stomach, a spot where I'm particularly ticklish. I couldn't help but giggle as she did so.

"Stop it, Mama!" I protested with laughter. She smiled warmly and held my hand again.

"These make you beautiful. Remember Lovely, with beauty comes strength. These new limbs of yours," My mother lifted our arms so they rested on our elbows.

"they will make you even stronger. As you grow, your strength will grow with you, but you must also work to make it grow even more. When you're strong, those men won't be able to hurt you anymore, got it?" I slowly started to understand as she spoke to me those words. If I'm strong, no one can hurt me.

"Yeah!"

"Good, good. So promise me that you'll be strong, stronger than me, and more beautiful than me. Promise?" She let go of my hand and curved her pinky, indicating a pinky promise. I followed suit, curving my own pinky.

"Promise." We hooked our fingers together, completing the promise ritual, and smiled at each other.

"I love you, my Lovely."

That was the last time I would ever hear my mother call me "Lovely" and smile at me.

Two days later, my mother was murdered at gunpoint.

We had to wait until I could fully recover to hold the funeral, which was three weeks later.

Acquaintances, friends, and extended family attended. After it had ended I waited until everyone had left so I could speak to her privately. My father still stood beside me as I knelt in front of my mother's gravestone.

"I'll wait as long as you need, Sumireko." He gave my shoulder a squeeze and walked away.

"Mama..." I whispered to myself as hot tears started to flow to my eyes. They managed to stay back when people were around, but now that there was no one to see, they immediately rushed to display themselves. I looked down at my hands as the tears mixed with anger and sorrow dripped down from my face onto them. My hands may not be real, but my tears are. The agony is real. The shuddering sobs that I let out were real. The fact that my mother was dead is real. All of it.

"Mama...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry! I'm sorry that I wasn't able to be there to protect you...I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." My heart seemed as if it were about to rip itself out of my chest. I held my head in my hands as the tears steadily streamed out. Now they were filled with more anger and hate by the second. I was angry at those men who killed her. I hated myself for not being there.

"I swear..." Words started to escape my mouth as if I lost control of my body.

"I'll be strong from now on. I'll be the strongest! Just wait, Mom, I'll show you how strong I can really be, and then you'll be proud of me. I'll be the strongest, okay? I swear to you!"

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It felt almost like I couldn't breath when I woke up. My heart pounded against my rib cage as if I just went running. I sat up and rested my head against the wall to gaze out the window. The stars were particularly bright tonight.

"A dream..." I muttered softly. A dream that reminded me of my mission. Mere days ago I was trying to accomplish that mission by killing Ichinose Haru of the Kurogumi, a queen bee candidate. Unfortunately the attempt was unsuccessful. After the failed attempt, I thought to take it upon myself to pick up the art of cooking. I couldn't help but let out a laugh, considering that I've spent the many past years working to become the strongest.

"Heh, just a little break, Mama."

As I stared deeper into the stars, I finally accepted that I wouldn't be going back to sleep for a while.

"It might be nice to take a stroll outside. The stars are very beautiful tonight, after all."

It's not exactly a difficult task for a trained assassin to sneak out of a large mansion. I had put on some casual but elegant clothes on for the night stroll. The city itself at night was not very illuminated, other than the light of the moon and dim lamp posts evenly spaced on the side of sidewalks. I was grateful, though, because if it had been well lit, the stars may not have been so beautiful. A cool night breeze blew across the park, the location of this spontaneous walk. Cherry blossom trees were in bloom and were scattered all round the park. As I passed a small koi pond on the side of the park path, I immediately noticed something.

I'm following someone.

It must have been unconsciously. I stopped walking and considered my options. What should be done? Do I walk back? It wouldn't do if this person were to get the wrong idea. Perhaps I should speak with them. Deciding to go with my last option, I took another step forward to the person. This time however, it was them who stopped. The sudden cease in movement startled me, and halted my action. Going with the idea that this would be the time to catch up to them, I took another step forward. The next thing the mysterious figure does is bolt straight away from me. It all happened in a flash. The speed they were running at was incredible.

"Wai-!" I tried to call out before they ran out of sight, but a hand grabbed my shoulder from behind and spun me around before I could do so. It seemed that I was so focused on who I was following that I didn't notice that I too was being followed.


	2. Midnight Encounter

**A/N: Hello again! I've got a new chapter for you guys :D I just have to tell you guys beforehand that I already have about the next 4-5 chapters written, or even more, but I've decided to post them at least about a week apart because I find that if my published writings are too close to my writings at work, I get a little discouraged and actually affects how I write. I would also like to say that this story _does_****have a plot. Anyways, enough of my rambling! On to the chapter! Follow me on tumblr too, kay? ;D (akihaotaku) ****shameless advertising**

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_PoV of: Mahiru_

"Yo, yer being followed ya know." Shinya said to me.

"...I know that." I replied silently in my head.

"Well? Ya just gonna let them?"

"N-no. Let's just see what they want first before we do anything rash, Shinya."

"Tch, suit yourself. But if you get attacked, I'm taking over, got it?"

"...Okay."

I'd decided to take my first night walk ever since I'd met Shinya. The park had seemed pretty, with all the Sakura trees in bloom. A few minutes in, I noticed that someone had started to tail me. Their intent was unclear, but it was a good chance that the intentions were not good. My ears listened closely to the shuffle of their feet, and how they walked. The pressure they used to walk was light, based on how much noise their shoes made. But it was strange. It didn't seem like they were trying to conceal themselves at all.

"Shinya, perhaps they're not following us. Maybe they're just taking a walk like us too."

"At this time 'a night?! I don't believe it. Better safe than sorry, Mahiru."

"A-ah. Yeah, I guess you're right..."

The shuffling stopped. The person in question was no longer moving. I continued to walk forward, but now listened even closer to pick up any signs of a weapon being taken out. As I listened I heard the follower suddenly take a step forward. My body abruptly tensed and stopped walking all together. We've made it clear that we're both aware of each others presence. I heard another step being taken toward me, and darted as fast as I could to the nearest hiding spot, which happened to be a large nearby cherry blossom tree. My anxiety of the situation took over. Once I hid behind the trunk of the tree, I slowly turned my head around to locate the stranger. I scanned over the park path, and this time saw three silhouettes. Two of them stood next to each other, the right one of those two had a hand on the third silhouettes shoulder. It was difficult to tell, but the two standing next to each other were medium sized men, and the third seemed like a girl my age. Somehow, her figure seemed familiar to me.

"Hey there, little lady. You lost?" I heard one of them say.

"No, I'm quite alright. Thank you, though." The girl said.

"Say, you're pretty cute. Why don't you head back home with us, eh?" The other man said.

"Uh oh. That doesn't sound too good to me." Shinya remarked. I remained silent to her comment and noiselessly sneaked closer to the people. The girl's voice reminded me of a previous roommate that I had. As I crept closer I heard more of the conversation.

"That sounds like a very nice offer, but I'm afraid I will have to refuse." The girl responded.

"Don't be like that little lady, it'll be fun! We insist." I saw the left man's hand go up to grab her arm. Afraid that the girl would not be able to defend herself against two full grown men, instinctively I reached out and grabbed his wrist before he could make contact with the girl.

"Excuse me, but I'm afraid that I can't let you do that." I said.

"Really?" The left man said.

"Try and stop me." He added.

Slightly angered at this challenge I tightened my grip a little on his wrist. Or at least, I meant to. I had tightened my grip too hard and broke the man's wrist audibly with a crunch. He let out a loud scream, and his partner immediately took action and let go of the girl's shoulder to swing his fist at my face. I released my hand on the man's wrist and bent my knees just in time to dodge the blow. The attacking man stumbled forward from the force that he used to try and punch me. The girl used the opening and roundhouse kicked the man in the face with a sickening crunch of his bones. Admittedly I was quite surprised. The man was knocked out cold, or perhaps even dead, on the ground. His partner widened his eyes with fear and tried to run in the opposite direction from us, but with a broken wrist, it was clear that he wouldn't get far. There was no way that I'll let him get away and possibly attempt this charade on someone else. I caught up the distance between me and the man and hooked my elbow around his neck from behind. With enough force, I smashed his head down onto the park path, but just enough to knock him out. Hopefully. It wouldn't do well if we had two dead men in the middle of a park.

"Whoa, good job. I haven't seen you fight like that in a long, long time." Shinya said.

"Thank you. It...has been a while since I have done something like that before."

"Anyways, shouldn't you at least check if the dude's still alive? Ya did hit him pretty hard. Seems like ya still need to get a hold of our strength after sunset. Since our body is so used to me at nig-"

"Shinya, I know." I cut her off before she could go into some lesson...She's very talkative sometimes.

"Hey! I heard that!"

After checking to make sure the man was alive I turned around to check on the girl. With a kick like that though, I'm sure she's alright. As I stood back up, I realized that my previous follower was now standing right in front of me so I could clearly see her face. I'd recognize those crystal blue eyes and long peach hair anywhere.

Hanabusa Sumireko.

"Oh hey, yo, it's the rich girl!" Shinya commented.

"Ha-Hanabusa-san!" I said out loud.

"Ara, Banba-san? I...did not expect my defender to be you."


	3. Invitation

**A/N: Greetings fellow humans. I was supposed to upload this last night, but I fell asleep, oopsies. Anyways, things will start to pick up a little bit after this chapter. Please enjoy :D ****psst, follow me on tumblr, i post Anr stuffs huehuehue (akihaotaku)**

**Edit: Haha, thanks aguslay for pointing that little thing out to me :) I fixed it.**

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_Pov of: Sumireko_

After the rather chaotic matter of events, I wanted to see the face of the person that I had accidentally followed and defended me. She was knelt on the ground, checking the pulse of the man that she had just smashed on the park path. Judging from the way that she looked slightly surprised when she broke that man's wrist, she quite possibly was just making sure that the assaulter was still alive. It did not seem like she had good control over her strength. which seemingly was a lot. Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to check if the man that I kicked was still breathing. I placed myself in front of the girl as she turned around and stood up to get a clear look at her face. The second that I got a glimpse of those amethyst eyes, I knew who it was.

Banba Shinya...or was it Mahiru? Banba did not possess the mischievous grin or wild eyes as she normally does at night. Instead, soft gentle eyes took place of the wild ones.

"Ha-Hanabusa-san!" Banba exclaimed.

"Ara? Banba-san? I...did not expect my defender to be you."

"I'm sorry, Hanabusa-san, I didn't realize it was you!"

"What are you apologizing for? It is I who should be thanking you for assisting me." I bowed towards Banba in show of thanks.

"Ah, it was nothing. Please speak nothing of it, I only did what was the right thing to do."

"Not many people do the right thing anymore, Banba-san..." I cautiously said. There was a moment of silence between us as my words sank in. It was true, as displayed by the two assailants on the floor. An act of doing the right thing is rare to come by.

"Please, forgive me for asking, but...are you perhaps not Shinya-san? Sunrise is not until almost three hours." I said to break the ice.

"A-ah, no, actually. I'm Mahiru. Shinya and I, we no longer have to switch during night and day."

"Is that so?"

After her nod of confirmation, another blanket of silence settled in. I didn't exactly know what to say anymore, at this point.

"Umm...Hanabusa-san?" Mahiru said to disrupt the quiet this time.

"Perhaps we should...do something about these two..." She looked down at the unconscious man at her feet. It was clear that he was not waking up anytime soon.

"If someone were to pass by, they might get the wrong idea and all." She timidly added with a shaky voice, as if I would reject her proposal.

"Ah, yes, you're right. We should call the police." I took out my cell phone and dialed the emergency number. I explained the situation as best as I could while leaving out the parts on _how_ exactly they were knocked out cold to the operator on the other end. Mahiru remained silent as I talked on the phone, but I could detect that she was nervous about something through her fidgeting and darting eyes.

"The police will be there to apprehend the criminals soon. Thank you for reporting this to us." The operator said. I thanked them back and ended the call. Mahiru still remained silent after I hung up the phone.

"Is everything alright, Banba-san? Is there anything troubling you?" I asked.

"A-ah, no, it's nothing, it's just that when the cars come..." Her eyes shifted to the ground and shuffled her feet around anxiously.

"Hmm? What is it?" I pressed.

"Nothing. It's nothing, really." She shook her head and looked back at me with a gentle smile. It was nice to see it. I didn't get much of a chance to see her smile, other than Shinya. The police sirens were now able to be heard from far off. Mahiru started to sweat and fidget a little bit more. Strange, it didn't seem like she even worked up a sweat when she ran away from me, or when chasing after the guy that was running away. As the sirens gradually got closer, the more Mahiru seemed get anxious. I tried to speak up, but just then the police cars rolled up to us. The siren cut off, but the red lights continued to spin and flash. Mahiru turned her back to the car suspiciously. A man and a woman in uniforms exited the vehicle and started to walk in our direction. I noticed the questioning in their eyes as they saw the two men sprawled on the floor. The policewoman and man approached me.

"Good evening ma'am." The woman said.

"Good evening to you too." I replied with a small bow.

"We heard that you fought off two people that attempted to kidnap you, correct?" The other asked.

"Ah, Yes and no. A friend of mine assisted me, so I did not fight them off alone." I turned around to gesture to Mahiru, but as I did so I noticed that she was shielding her eyes from something. Suddenly I remembered back to when Shinya accepted my invitation to tea, back at Myoujo academy. If my memory serves me right, she seemed a bit bothered and irritated at the unadjusted lamp shade that caused the light to be directed to her, and adjusted it back so the light wouldn't be concentrated onto one spot anymore. Finally, it clicked, and I realized that Mahiru was trying to block out the flashing lights from the police car. Those lights always irritated me also. If it bothered me, it would certainly bother her twice as much.

"Excuse me," I said. "Could you perhaps turn off your emergency lights? They are a bit unpleasant on the eyes."

"Oh, sorry about that, I forgot to turn those off. Be right back." The policeman turned back to the car to turn off those nuisances. The woman took out a notepad and pen while he went to do so.

"Can you describe the situation that you were in in a little more detail please? You didn't give us much information on the telephone." She asked. The police lights went off and her partner walked back towards us. I turned back around to check on Mahiru. She removed her hand from her eyes and blinked a few times. Good. She should be alright now.

"Ma'am?" The lady called out. Realizing that I hadn't answered her question yet, I spun back around.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry." She jotted down notes as I explained everything to her. I tried my best to avoid the parts where I kicked the man and where Mahiru smashed the other on the ground. Unfortunately, she still persisted on how they were taken out so easily.

"You...kicked him once and he passed out? And she managed to strike his head on the floor?" She questioned.

"Yes, is there anything wrong?"

"N-no, it's just that...that would seem quite a task to do against a well-sized man."

"Hey, Aiko! Come check this out!" The policeman shouted. He was knelt beside the man I kicked. Aiko walked over and knelt along with him.

"What's up?" I heard her say.

"Take a look. It's hard to tell with all the...blood and really badly broken nose, but it's him. That's the guy. The other dude over there is definitely his accomplice."

"Yeah, you're right. Broken nose aside, he matches the sketches of all the other victims descriptions." She walked over to the other one, and lifted his head up by the hair. With a nod of her head, she approached me again.

"Looks like you two managed to take out a notorious pair that was serially assaulting young girls such as yourself."

"Is...that so?"

"You betcha. It's most likely going to be on the news in the morning. Well, later in the morning. You two really shouldn't have been walking this late past midnight, but I digress. Thank you so much for capturing these two, you've been a great help." She tipped her cap at me and smiled. That bit about the news didn't sit well with me. If Father found out that I was out this late he'd be furious. "By the way, Miss..." She tilted her head and squinted at me. Her eyes then widened with realization. I'd hoped that she wouldn't recognize me, but it appears that it was inevitable. "Oh! Are you perhaps...the Hanabusa's daughter?"

"Yes, that is correct." Aiko's face was seemingly paralyzed with shock.

"A-ah! Please, pardon me. I had no idea." She bowed nervously. "Well, I was going to offer to give you two a ride home, but now I insist on doing so."

"Please, there is no such need. Both of us are quite okay, but thank you for your concern. However, could I perhaps request something from you?"

"Absolutely."

"Thank you. Could I ask that our identities not be revealed? Both of us, please. The commotion from the public and my family is not preferable."

"Of course, not a problem at all. I won't let 'em know." Aiko walked off to her partner to help lift the men into their car. I sighed out of relief and approached Mahiru once again.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Yes, thank you."

The pair load the last man into the back seats, gave us a wave goodbye, and drove off. Mahiru let out a breath that she seemed to be holding when they were around.

"That was quite an adventure, wouldn't you agree?" I remarked.

"Yes, you're right." She replied with a small laugh. It was cute. Almost like a small puppy.

"Banba-san, could I ask something from you?"

"Y-yes?"

"Would you walk me home? Please? It would be rather dull, to have to walk back home alone."

Mahiru widened her eyes at this request, obviously caught off guard. I didn't expect her to say yes, based off how she reacted nearly every time that I had asked her to join me for tea. It wouldn't hurt to just ask this time.

"Of course."

...What was that? Did she really agree to walk with me to my house? Not sure if it was just my imagination, I couldn't help but ask for confirmation.

"I-I'm sorry?" I said.

"Of course, Hanabusa-san. I'll walk you home." She gave another sweet smile that made my heart seem to thud faster against my chest.

"O-oh..." I didn't mean to sound disappointed. In fact, what I was feeling was the complete opposite. For some reason I felt nearly overjoyed.

"Ah, d-did you not want me to-"

"No!" I nearly shouted.

"I-I mean, no. I was just-surprised is all." I said in my normal manner.


	4. The InseparableDuo?

**A/N: It's heerre! Haha, I'm so bad, really really sorry. School started, and it's my freshman year, and it's preeetty rough. I haven't had time to write at all since it started, but to make up for your long wait I decided to upload an extra long chapter for you guys because you've been so patient with me 3 luv u guys. Anyways, hope you enjoy!**

**Psst, follow me on tumblr (akihaotaku)**

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_PoV of: __The queen __Sumireko_

The clicks of our shoes were the only noise that occupied the quiet between us. I glanced frequently towards Mahiru's face. Each time my eyes would just gaze at her rough looking scar, and trace back up to her amethyst eyes. This time I glanced a bit too long, and Mahiru turned to look towards me. I noticed a small but noticeable pink blush greet her cheeks as she smiled at me. I smiled back, but this time she blush grew a little stronger and turned her head the other way to hide it out of embarrassment. I couldn't help but let out a tiny laugh at this display.

"Banba-san, you've changed a great deal, since I first met you." I mentioned aloud.

"A-ah, do you really think so?" She responded.

"Yes, very much so."

"I see..." She said back slowly, dragging out the words.

"Personally, I think it was because of what happened in Kurogumi. It made me realize that the world is so vast. I...shouldn't have let something like what happened when I was a child to control me as much as it did...to wish death upon others." Mahiru continued.

That's right. When we were still roommates, from what little words we had exchanged with each other, we began to understand that we were not too different from each other. We both knew. We both knew how tragic and cruel the world can sometimes be to its inhabitants, even to innocent souls such as us in our young ages, when we were mere children. I didn't know what happened to her, but I thought best to not prod around business that was not mine. As for me...I couldn't just stop trying. Trying to be stronger. I made a promise, I swore that I would be the strongest to my mother. I won't just break that promise so easily. However, Mahiru was not wrong. The world indeed is a very large place. It's full of many wonderful people, such as her. But equally as many selfish and corrupt individuals.

"Banba-sa-"

"Please, Hanabusa-san, you can just refer to me as Mahiru. I do not mind it."

"Ara? If that's the case, then you may also simply refer to me as Sumireko." Mahiru directed her gaze to the floor and seemingly smiled to herself.

"I always liked it." She said unexpectedly.

"Hmm? Liked what?" I inquired.

"Your name. Sumireko. It's beautiful and lovely, j-just like yourself." She answered. I was taken quite aback at this comment. It reminded me greatly of my mother. The memories of her voice that had always called me "Lovely" returned back to me, repeating itself over and over. The only time that she wouldn't call me that was when she upset at Father, and I tried to talk to her during their arguments, or when I had stolen some sweets from the kitchen and got caught. "Lovely" then would instead have been replaced with "Little Thief", but returned to "Lovely" nonetheless. I found my self letting out a small laugh, and a tear streaking down my cheek as I recalled those memories. I quickly wiped away the tear, hoping that Mahiru had not seen it, but to no avail.

"S-Sumireko? Did I offend you? I'm sorry, I didn't mean any-"

"No, no. You didn't offend me...I was just recollecting some old memories of mine." I said with a wistful tone that I did not mean to place there.

"I see..." She replied. Silence once again filled the air, other than the clicks of our shoes. I looked back up to the sky, only to find it no longer filled with the diamonds that once took place in the blanket of darkness. Instead, a very pale blue started to take over, along with a light orange that looked as if it were painted on the corner of the horizon.

"Ara, It seems like it has become dawn already. The time flied by us more swiftly than I expected."

"Sumireko, would you like to see the sunrise? I know a place very close by where we can watch it clearly together." Mahiru asked gently.

"Ah, yes, I'd like that very much. Thank you." I accepted.

Mahiru beamed back at me, looking delighted.

We climbed a surprisingly good amount of stairs, onto a cliff-like grassy area. Oak trees surrounded the sides of the area, except the front, where a fence occupied the space instead. I walked closed towards the fence to get a good look further. A soft calm breeze rolled across the area, shaking hands with my hair.

"The view is so beautiful, Mahiru! I can't believe I've never found this place before. You can clearly see the mountains, and the Sakura trees that pop out through the city." I gasped excitedly while holding onto the metal fence. Mahiru walked up next to me and gazed into the view with me.

"Look." I whispered. The orange ball started to peek up over the mountains. Its sunlight shone on us, sharing its warmth for us. I took a glance back to Mahiru's face, to investigate her sudden silence. She closed her eyes for a short while, and opened them back up, this time with a different aura that emitted from her. Not wanting to ruin the moment with a question I looked back over into the mountains, enjoying the slow rise of that star. The silence this time was calming, and very much welcomed. White cotton clouds began to roll in, covering bits of the morning sky. Eventually a wispy fluff covered the sun, hiding it from view. Slightly disappointed I took a look back to Banba. A new toothy grin and mischievous eyes now greeted her face.

"Heh, that was the first time I've ever seen the sunrise, ya know." The tone was undoubtedly recognizable. She raised her hand and made a circle with her index finger and thumb, while sticking up the other three fingers.

"Yo, long time no see there, Sumireko."

"I asked Mahiru if I could take over and watch. All I could ever watch was the sunsets. Even then, I couldn't watch it for long. It was pretty, but looking at it for a while would...take us back to unwanted memories." Shinya told me. We continued to walk to my house. It's not too far now.

"Just around the corner, Shinya-san. Left." We turned left together and walked down a few more steps until we approached my house gates that was connected to a high wall that surrounded my mansion.

"Wh...whoa..." She uttered under her breath.

"I knew that you were rich, Sumireko, but not..." She gestured at my house with both arms spread out.

"..._This_ rich." She finished.

"Yes. It's not very convenient. There are robbers and burglars always trying to break in, and it's a hassle." I remarked. Shinya still gaped at my rather extravagant house with buggy eyes. I tried my hardest not to let out a laugh at the welcome sight. It was almost as if she were a small child.

"Shinya-san, over here." I motioned her over a part of a wall that was covered by a large tree from the inside. I waited until I knew that she could see me clearly before I did anything.

"What? What now?" She asked. I put a finger to my lips and gave a small wink. She raised an eyebrow at me suspiciously with questioning eyes. I lifted my hands up so my fingers hugged the upper corner of the wall, and planted my hands firmly onto it. With ease, I pushed myself up and swung my body over the wall, landing with my feet as inaudibly as possible onto the grass. I waited a few seconds for Shinya to do the same. After no sign of movement over the wall, I wondered if I had to call out to her to follow suit. There was a possibility that she could have simply just left. I turned around, deciding to wait a little longer for her. Perhaps she just couldn't lift herself over the wall? This was Shinya I was talking about, so there was no way that could happen. Just then, I heard a shuffle from over the wall, and looked back to see a rather ungraceful Shinya falling and planting her face into the grass of my yard with a loud thud and grunt. Instinctively I looked the other way, lightly slapping my hand against the front of my face and shaking my head out of displeasure, although a snicker escaped from my mouth.

"Hey! Quit laughing, you! That hurt ya know...owww..." Shinya complained. I checked back on her to see if she actually was hurt badly, such as a broken arm or wrist.

"Shinya-san, I thought that you were more skilled than that." I said with another small snicker.

"Shut up! I ain't used to using our body at this time 'a day! Plus, that Mahiru used some of our strength to beat up those douches, so I'm sorry if I'm a little sapped, okay? I'm a little shorter that you too. Anyways, if it's this easy to sneak into yer house grounds, it's no wonder that robbers keep tryin' to get in." She retorted. I rolled my eyes playfully and reached a hand down towards her. She grabbed hold of my hand gratefully and I lifted her up with ease. "Oh well, it's not like you can't handle some amateur robber on yer own. Yo, by the way, nice grip ya got there, princess." Shinya commented. Her grin now plastered back on her face, I suspected that she was all fine now.

"Y-yeah, thanks. Oh, and don't call me princess." Shinya shook her head with that grin still stuck on her face.

"Fine, fine. Whatever ya say."

"...You can call me 'Queen' though."

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

She shrugged with her hands in the air, as if to say "I give up", and took a step forward out of the shade of the tree.

"Wait." I whispered harshly. Worried that she might step before she caught herself, I grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back.

"Ow, hey. Your hand hurts. Whatzit made out of, rocks?" Shinya asked. I squinted at her, not exactly appreciating her comment. If she only knew.

"Never mind that. You almost got us caught. Look." I pointed to a nearby camera that was panning left and right slowly in our area.

"If that camera senses movement that's not from the gates, it'll set off an alarm from inside the house, and the police will be notified to get here asap."

"Wow, nice...Hey wait, why are even trying to sneak into yer own house?!"

"I'm not supposed to be outside of the house right now. My father is very strict about this type of thing, and if I get caught, he gets furious."

"Is that so? Heh, never really took you for a rebel, Sumireko. I like it." Choosing to ignore that comment, I kept an eye on the nearby camera until it panned away from our direction.

"Run that way." I pointed to the left. Shinya took orders well, and ran in that direction, with me tailing not too far behind. It was not the best idea to let Shinya run in front. She didn't know when to stop and didn't know if another camera was right around the corner. I did. She stepped forward a step too far and I had to hook my finger in the collar of her dress while she was in full speed. The front of the collar caught her neck, and an audible "guk" was heard from her mouth.

"I'm sorry, Shinya-san. Are you alright? If I didn't do that you might have gotten us caught. Again." A few coughs later, she finally got her breath to respond.

"No! Sumireko, are ya trying to kill me, ya friggin' sadist? Ya kinda just choked me just now!" Shinya harshly whispered.

"I said I'm sorry. Anyways, don't call me a sadist. Let me get in front. I know where all the cameras are, so stop when I stop, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah, git to it already." I looked around the corner to locate the camera. It was in the middle of panning to the other direction, so it was now or never. I sprinted to the next corner of the house, with Shinya following behind. I stopped just at the corner, but Shinya didn't stop fast enough and bumped me out into view. The next camera was in pointed in my direction. I quickly pushed Shinya back and hid behind the corner again.

"Ow! Hey are you doing this on purpo-"

"SH!" I put a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. I did not know that Shinya could be this talkative.

"The alarm may have gone off inside. I think it spotted me. Listen closely, and tell me if you hear it ringing inside." Any type of beeping that came from the house meant that we've been spotted. After a good minute, and no sound could be heard, I let go of my breath.

"That was close." Shinya chuckled nervously. I looked at her irritatedly, now questioning if this girl really is, or at least, _was_ an assassin.

"You're not very good at this, are you, Shinya-san?"

"Hey, shut it. Whyda ya think I carry a hammer twice the size of your face around?! Discretion around wasn't really my strong point as an assassin, if ya didn't notice from the huge sledgehammer, detective!" I shook my head and rolled my eyes at the new nickname.

"Okay, whatever. The last camera we need to pass is up here. And don't call me detective."

"I'm pretty sure you asked me to walk you home, not go train to be in a ninja movie!" I considered how Mahiru is able to stand her alternate personality 24/7. To have this girl in your head all the time...wouldn't it get to you? So far she's called me "princess", "sadist", and "detective". I turned back around to look at her.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" She asked.

"...Maybe let's stop with the nicknames unless I approve them." She shrugged her shoulders again.

"'Kay. Whatever ya want." I turned back around to check the camera. Once it turned the other way, I darted straight for the next corner to turn. I used my hand to hug the corner of the house to turn easier, but Shinya didn't. She crashed into a bush. I stopped to catch my breath, and to wait for Shinya. The window to my room was just up there. My silver-haired companion jumped out of the bush and walked up next to me while brushing off leaves from her dress.

"Are you sure that you were an assassin?" I mocked.

"Are ya sure that I won't come into your bedroom at night and dump a bucket of spiders on you?" I rolled my eyes once more and shuddered a little at the thought.

"Could you give me a boost, please, Shinya-san?" Shinya got the message and walked up to the wall of the house, squatting and interlocked her fingers together. I stepped on her hands and reached up to unlock the latch to my window, and pushed the doors open. Looking back down to assess on how Shinya was doing, I was unsure if she would be able to hold much longer. Surprisingly, her face showed no sign of fatigue or stress, and was holding me up quite well.

"Hey, speed it up there 'n quit lookin at my face. Yer kinda heavy ya know."

"Excuse me?"

"Nuthin', just hurry, won't they be coming to check on you or somethin'?"

"No, right now, it's still my sleeping hours."

"Sleeping hours?! How long do you sleep, ten hours?"

"Yes, actually."

"Yer kiddin' me. What are you, a sloth? Heh, explains why yer so hea-"

I didn't stand for the comments anymore. Using my foot, I lightly stepped on her head, pushing her head back.

"Hey! Whatzat for?!"

"Oops, my apologies. My foot seemed to have slipped."

"Like hell it did!" In the middle of our little tiff I heard a knock from my bedroom door through the window.

"My lady, are you awake yet?" That was the butler.

"Throw me up!" I hissed.

"Whaddaya, crazy?!"

"Just do it!"

"Fine!"

With one strong push up from Shinya, I was able to slip in through the window. However, this time it was I that landed on my face with a loud thud. Audible cackling from the girl below reached my ears.

"M-my lady, is everything alri-"

"Everything is fine. Please do not come in just yet." I said in my best normal voice as possible.

I looked back down out the window and waved to my helper.

"Thank you, Shinya-san. I appreciate all your help, Mahiru's too. And I'm sorry for doing those things to you."

"Heheh, don't mention it. Sorry for callin' ya names too. I guess I'll catch ya later!" She gave her signature circle and three fingers, along with that distinguishable grin. I smiled back at her and mouthed a "good-bye". For some reason, I didn't really want to leave her. When I pulled my gaze away from her, I kept wanting to look back.

"Oh, Sumireko, wait!" She shouted up. I whipped around and stuck my head back out the window with a raised eyebrow.

"By the way, nice panties!" I felt my jaw drop and my eyes widen.

"Why, you-!"

"Gotta split! Later!" She dashed for the nearest wall and hopped it. She didn't mess up this time.

"I swear, when I see you again I'll make sure that-"

"My lady-" The butler interrupted.

"Y-yes! I will be there in a moment." I quickly straightened my hair and clothes, and threw my shoes back into my closet to put on my slippers. After making sure that I looked presentable and not suspicious, I swung the door open.

"There you are. Were you...talking to anyon-"

"No, I was not. What is it that you needed, Kaede?"

"Ah, yes, your father wanted to you to join him downstairs for breakfast."

"Is...that so?"


End file.
